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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — to bear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. chest — of your body
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — to trim
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. swing — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com